


A Very Prolonged Welcome

by lonelywalker



Category: Brothers & Sisters
Genre: Jossed, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-18
Updated: 2011-04-18
Packaged: 2017-10-18 08:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/186781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelywalker/pseuds/lonelywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nora meets her brother's boyfriend, one step at a time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Prolonged Welcome

For most of her life, Nora Walker had never considered the possibility of one day meeting her brother's boyfriend. She'd never much thought about ever meeting a girlfriend, either. Saul had always been too devoted to his work, too tied up in Ojai and the lives of Nora's kids to have serious relationships of his own. The few girls he'd brought to company parties had so obviously not been keepers that she'd almost been embarrassed for him - except that she had been reasonably sure that Saul knew it just as well as she did.

After the revelation that Saul was gay, she'd taken to encouraging him to put himself out there. In lieu of slaving away at Ojai, and with all five of her children grown, they'd both known that he desperately needed to develop a life of his own. But they'd also known that finding love over forty (let alone over sixty-five) was going to be difficult, particularly for a gay man. Particularly for a gay man who'd never before been out of the closet, and had no concept of the gay dating scene in the city. Nora had hoped that he might at least find some friends, perhaps men Scotty might be able to introduce him to, and... Well. Miracles did sometimes happen.

And miracles, Saul tells her one evening as they sit on the tiled floor of the pantry, seem to take the form of his new boyfriend, a younger man who likes classical music, rides a motorcycle, and doesn't appear to have a name. Pouring them both another glass of wine, Saul explains that he doesn't want any of the family looking him up before the time is right - and he knows too well that Nora isn't above checking his cellphone for the poor man's number when he isn't looking.

Still, Saul seems to be happy, if a little nervous, and she's so proud of him on the occasions when she finds out that he's going on a date. It's as though a sixth child of hers has finally reached puberty. If only she knew more about this man who has captured Saul's heart so easily. She badly wants to demand that he have her brother back by 8pm sharp, no drinking allowed, and come in to be vetted by the family. But where Saul's concerned, no amount of hints and nudges will make him commit to even mentioning a name.

So she sends an e-card on Kitty's behalf to Saul, inviting him and his "plus one", whoever he is, to the baby shower. For all she knows, he could be anything from an 18-year-old college student to a middle-aged redneck, and when Kevin reports that Saul won't be coming, she's almost relieved. The awkwardness of introducing any one of a hundred freakish possibilities to the family has suddenly dawned on her.

When Saul does show up, leading in his mysterious boyfriend, she's both relieved and surprised. His name is Henry, they're all told, and Henry is tall and dark and softly-spoken, and only about half as terrified as he really should be, given that he's stumbled right into a nest of Walkers.

She'd anticipated being able to interrogate him at great length, but given her tightly-planned baby shower, Kitty's antics, and her own preoccupation with Roger, all she takes away from that encounter is that Henry likes books, hates apricots, is completely unfazed by polyamorous relationships, and will probably never be seen again.

"Oh god," she tells Saul, slumped against the kitchen counter after all the kids have gone. Her anger has been worn out, replaced only by regret for making a scene, for hurting Kitty, for completely _ruining_ Saul's chances with the only boyfriend he's ever had. "I'm so sorry. That was... I don't know. Will you apologize to Henry for me? He seems so sweet, and nice, and why did you _bring_ him? You _know_ what we're like!"

Saul, for all he has the right to be furious with her, is just standing there with an amused expression as he squeezes her shoulder. "Nora, it's fine. I couldn't very well hide him from my family forever. It was time. And I didn't drag him here. He wanted to come."

She's not convinced. "Well, where is he? I really did scare him off, didn't I?"

"He's outside making a phone call."

"Well, that's what he _told_ you, but..."

"Saulie?"

And Henry is standing there, hands in pockets, looking neither irritated nor terrified. He's not quite as professional in appearance as Nora might have expected (or liked), but now is hardly the time to be picky. For all she knows, his good suits might all be at the cleaners.

Henry smiles expectantly at both of them. "Am I interrupting? I could go and wait in the other room..."

"No!" Nora says, a little too sharply. "No. I... I'm so sorry, Henry. We've all had so much on our minds, and I know this wasn't the way we all wanted to meet you."

"Oh, I enjoyed it." Henry reaches out to touch Saul's arm. "I have to admit I was a little nervous about spending the afternoon being interrogated, so it was very nice not to be the focus of attention."

Nora really can't tell if he's being honest or simply polite. "Oh. Well, that's good. I hope. And it really was very sweet of you to come. I'm sure Kitty appreciated it." Even though Kitty had spent most of the afternoon alternately sulking and having sudden fits of insecurity about being a mother.

"Well, after Saul's stories about all of you, I had to see a Walker family gathering for myself." Just as Nora's about to ask him what, _exactly_ , Saul has been telling him, Henry's attention is all on Saul himself. "Saulie, can you drop me at the office? Stu's doing the tax returns and he's found a stack of receipts he doesn't understand."

"No problem," Saul says quietly just as Nora interjects:

"What kind of work do you do, Henry?" Somehow, she'd assumed that Henry would be in exactly the same situation as her brother: retired and bored, with nothing to do but go to the symphony and, well, attend baby showers.

Henry tugs at his lapel, where a gold pin is displayed. "I do some work for the Alzheimer's Association... and in cooperation with other non-profits in the city." His fingers tangle up with Saul's. "I'm a sucker for a good cause."

She can't help but feel jealous, watching them go. Perhaps Henry isn't quite handsome, doesn't quite have a good haircut or a decent wardrobe. But he's... _nice_. Sweet. Calm amid disasters. And a charity worker, to top it all off. In the Walker household, he might as well be an angel.

***

In the weeks to follow, Nora doesn't see anything of Henry, and is too caught up in family crises - Ryan, the new baby, Robert's heart attack - to even ask Saul about him. Whenever Saul does mention their nascent relationship, it's always a brief comment that things are going very well, and then a swift change of subject.

She's become used to knowing the ins and outs of her family's relationships - Kitty and Justin seeking advice, Sarah just wanting someone listen attentively to tales of her exploits, Kevin happy to explain how well he and Scotty are adjusting to married life - and there are so many things she'd like to know about Saul's first love affair with a man.

The next she hears from Henry, though, is when she calls late one evening to ask Saul about a book she's misplaced, and an unfamiliar voice answers. "Hello?"

She hesitates for a moment before it occurs to her. "Oh. Henry?" If it isn't Henry, she's not too sure how she should react.

"Yes, Henry." She can hear the smile in his voice. "Hello Nora. Saulie... it's your sister."

When Saul comes to the phone, he doesn't even mention Henry, just lets her know that, yes, he has the book, and can get it back to her the next morning. She has to wonder what, exactly, she had interrupted - the two of them watching television, eating dinner... or perhaps naked in bed, wrapped in each other's arms. She shouldn't even be thinking about that. But at least they're happy. Together.

She only sees them together in person a few days later, stopping over at Saul's for coffee and finding that Henry is working late. But the man himself shows up later, dressed in motorcycle leathers and bearing pizza. Nora only has a moment to reflect on this - and god knows few men have ever brought _her_ dinner - before Henry leans in and kisses Saul.

It's obviously only a casual action for them now, a greeting after so many hours apart, and Saul might think her completely ridiculous for putting so much weight on it... But this is her _brother_ , being himself with his lover for the first time in her presence. She can't help but feel proud of him.

"I hope you're looking after him," she tells Henry on the phone the next week, having unexpectedly found him alone in Saul's apartment. Saul, apparently, has just gone out to get something from his car.

Henry chuckles. "I'm doing my best. I think he's used to looking after himself."

She can't very well dispute that. "I know he's glad that he has you to support him, though, Henry. He hasn't had anyone in a long time... and family does only go so far."

"Family goes further than you'd think," Henry says quickly. "I'm always so impressed by how close you all are."

"Do you have family in the area?" She's suddenly imagining another poor orphan boy she can welcome into the bosom of the Walker family, another place to set at every dinner. And he seems as though he'll provoke far fewer political arguments than Robert.

"No, not really. They're all back east - my Dad and my brother's family..."

And they talk geography and Thanksgiving dinners and family squabbles as easily as if they're old friends. She's already suggested that he should come and meet the rest of the Walker clan at the opening ceremony for her cancer center by the time Saul picks up the other line.

"Really, Nora, I'm trying _not_ to drive him away."

"Nonsense. It'll be fun! A way to reunite everyone. And Scotty's catering. Henry says you haven't taken him to San Estephe yet."

"Going to my nephew's husband's restaurant is hardly the way to have a quiet romantic meal," Saul says quickly. "Besides, I already invited Henry to the opening..."

"Unfortunately I'll be working," Henry interjects, perhaps realizing that these siblings could squabble forever if simply left to their own devices. "But I'm sure I'll be able to come by at some point and see everything..."

Nora knows he won't. He'll always be one step removed from her and her children. Much as she might like him, he's her brother's boyfriend, and Saul seems intent on keeping him at arm's reach from the rest of the family.

She can't say she blames him.

***

It's only on the flight back from Mexico that her thoughts return to the subject of her brother and his boyfriend. Saul's been distant lately, and even though she might have ordinarily been concerned about him, her energies have been devoted to other crises in the past few months. Now, though, with Tommy alive and healthy and happy, and the rest of her children relatively untroubled, she has to wonder how he and Henry are doing.

Saul had been silent for decades on the subject of his sexuality. Perhaps breaking up with his boyfriend wouldn't even generate a mention at the dinner table, particularly in the wake of Robert's heart attack and Tommy's legal troubles. And she _doesn't_ know Henry very well. Maybe it's just not meant to be.

"We're back," she tells Saul via her cellphone, calling as she takes a cab back to the house.

He sounds tired. "Good. How's Tommy?"

"Fine! Fine." She does her very best to sound cheerful, looking for a way into the topic on her mind. "How are you? How's Henry?"

"Nora..." All she gets for her efforts is a sigh, and she prepares herself for a typically Saulish blunt remark and refusal of any attempts to comfort him. But instead: "She's asking about you again. How are you, Mr. Mittner?"

She's smiling too broadly to catch exactly what Henry says, but Saul repeats it for her. "He's too adorable for words. Be careful, Nora, I think he's coming onto you. You'll make me jealous."

"I am not." Henry must have picked up the other receiver. "Not that you're not a very lovely woman, Nora. By the way, since Saulie seems incapable of doing it, we're inviting you to dinner."

"Dinner?"

"At San Estephe. I really should experience Scotty's cooking first hand, and I thought it might be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better."

"Oh!" Nora's almost speechless. "Well, good! I'd be delighted."

Saul's voice comes back on the line. "We're talking about moving in together, Nora. You have to be on your very best behavior."

"Oh, stop it." She rolls her eyes as the cab rounds a corner. "And... moving in together? You'll have to tell me all about it. How does tomorrow evening sound to you boys?"

Even if it's only one step in the right direction, she knows that, for Saul, it must seem like a leap as huge as telling Justin about Henry's very existence, or bringing him to the baby shower.

Perhaps the meal will be silent and awkward, but she's had enough vague hints of Henry's good nature to suggest otherwise. They might even find something in common, something to put them on the road towards real friendship. And that, which she's found with Scotty and Julia and struggled to maintain with Robert, is something she knows will be important to all three of them in the future.

"He's a real keeper, that one," she whispers to Saul once Henry has bid her goodnight, excusing himself to go and wash up the mound of dishes he says is gathering in the kitchen.

Saul chuckles into the receiver. "Believe me, Nora. I know."


End file.
